Parnell Files Trademark Infringement
Lawsuit Against Carrington Laboratories
LARKSPUR, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 19, 1999 Parnell Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.parnellpharm.com) has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Carrington Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ CARN) of Irving, Texas in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California. Parnell Pharmaceuticals, a privately held company, alleges Carrington has violated Parnells registered trademark for MouthKote®, a widely used oral care product for dry mouth and throat and other conditions. "Carringtons product OraKote, an oral care product launched in 1998, was shown at a recent trade show and created confusion among our customers," stated Dr. Francis Parnell, President and C.E.O. of Parnell Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Parnell added, "It is indeed ironic, because Carrington knew all about MouthKote® and its uses since they evaluated Parnells oral care products for acquisition in 1994 and again in 1995." "No settlement agreement has been reached, and we will pursue our case as filed in U.S. District Court," Parnell stated. Parnell markets products made from the Yerba Santa plant, while Carrington markets products made from the Aloe Vera plant. "Our registered patents and trademarks such as MouthKote® should protect us from large public corporations infringing on our intellectual property. We will fight this in the Federal Court even if it is a David vs. Goliath battle," Dr. Parnell said. Parnell Pharmaceuticals markets quality-of-life products developed by physicians. Parnells patented products are based on naturally occurring Yerba Santa and include MouthKote® oral moisturizer, Pretz® nasal and sinus products, as well as other products for skin care. Yerba Santa is a plant indigenous to the foothills of the Pacific Northwest, and has been used as an herbal remedy by many Native American tribes for centuries. For further
information contact Francis W. Parnell, M.D. (frank@parnellpharm.com)
at (415) 256-1800. |